Walk of Doom
"Walk of Doom" is the 2nd segment in the 3rd episode of the first season of Invader Zim. It first premiered on April 6, 2001, on Nickelodeon. Plot Summary When Zim gets annoyed by GIR's inept nature for the last time, he upgrades GIR's guidance technology, and decides to test its capability. The initial tests look good, so Zim takes GIR into the city to test if GIR can get them safely back to the base. However, when GIR purposely leaves the new guidance chip at home to make room for a cupcake, Zim and GIR must find an alternative way to get home, despite having very little understanding (at this time anyway) of the way the city functions. Zim tries several plans of his own, including using a makeshift compass, getting on a bus only to be kicked off, as neither of them have any money. Attempting to stare at the sun, thinking that knowing where West is will get them home, only for Zim's contacts to begin to bubble up and fry, temporarily blinding him, though after a few hours Zim gets his sight back. After a guy tells him to get a job thinking he's a hobo, Zim and GIR earned some cash by dancing in the park; even getting money from a robber that is wearing the exact same clothes as Zim, by the time they get more than enough money they get on the bus, however, Zim finds he can't stand it and they get off before the bus can go anywhere. By this point Zim is frustrated, but not willing to give up. His latest attempt to get home is to look from a tall building, claiming that his ocular implants will be enough to aid them in spotting their neighborhood. As they approach a bank that was recently robbed and as a result of mistaken identity, a bank teller and the police believe Zim to be the robber and go after him, after a short chase they end on the roof. Zim rides on GIR narrowly escaping the police. Unfortunately GIR runs out of fuel too quickly because he emptied it out to make room for tuna, having had enough, Zim relents on asking a human for help and decides to take a taxi home, only ending up more lost than before... in Mexico. How Zim and GIR got home is unknown. Facts of Doom Cultural References *When Zim gets on the bus, there is a bomb under the driver's seat. It could have been a reference to the film Speed. *The drooling baby on the bus looks a lot like Stewie Griffin from Family Guy. This was even mentioned in the audio commentary on the Doom Doom Doom DVD during the episode. *In one scene, the "Z?" logo is seen on a sign on a building. Trivia *This is the first episode in which GIR has a prominent role, the second being "Invasion of the Idiot Dog Brain" and the third and final time in "GIR Goes Crazy and Stuff." *The title is the second to use the squiggly Invader Zim font instead of the official. *This is the first time in the series that neither Dib nor Gaz appear. *GIR knows where the Skool is thanks to the guidance chip, he would later set foot there in "A Room with a Moose." *When Zim is on the bus a second time, behind him is an African-American woman that was also seen in "Parent Teacher Night". *Throughout the entire episode, you can hear noises such as people screaming, car crashes, gunshots, and explosions in the background. *This is one of Richard Steven Horvitz's favorite episodes along "Planet Jackers".An Interview with Richard Horvitz, the voice of Invader Zim at The Good Men Project *Once Zim and GIR end up in Mexico, there is a sign saying Carne, translating to Meat. *Interestingly, Jhonen Vasquez said in his blog that Professor Membrane, Dib, Gaz and Johnny C are Mexicans and Zim and GIR unintentionally arrive in Mexico. *In Enter the Florpus, Zim briefly speaks Spanish in one scene, hinting that he may have learned the language while in Mexico, possibly enough to be able to get back to his Base. *This episode marks the first and only time in the series that Zim and GIR have been to another country. Changes and Cuts *This episode originally had a different ending, with the taxi arriving at a sign that said "Welcome to Mexico". Nickelodeon thought that it would be offensive to Mexicans, so they made the Zim crew change it. Jhonen Vasquez says he likes the new version better. *There would have also been mariachi sounding music playing at the ending, but once again Nickelodeon thought it would be offensive so it was changed. Things You Might Have Missed *When Zim and GIR are in the park, the screaming man's sign says "Will stop screaming for food". *When Zim winds up in Mexico, a little girl tries to sell him some candy. The word 'feo' is on them. Feo is Spanish for 'ugly'. Feo can also refer to an unpleasant taste. Similar to awful, as in "this tastes awful". *After burning his eyes staring into the sun, Zim sits against a building side with a sign above him that reads "Z?" from Johnny the Homicidal Maniac. It also says, "got 23?". But, after the view raises above the building and it turns to night, the sign has changed and the light is overhead. *While on the bus, Zim watches Eugene Levy get in a taxi; behind Eugene there is a sign saying "Stop making babies". *When Zim enters the park after running from the Chihuahua, there is a darker-skinned man dressed in a sparkling suit who closely resembles a young Michael Jackson doing the moonwalk. It's not known whether this was put there on purpose, or if this was a random and inconsequential event. *In the crowd watching Zim and GIR dance is Zita, the girl that sits behind Zim in Skool. Also, this is the first episode where Skool isn't seen. *Fillerbunny makes a cameo as the bobble-head on the bus driver's dashboard. *There is a Bloody GIR above Zim's head after he and GIR get in the taxi. Inconsistencies and Animation Errors *At the part of the episode where Zim shakes his fist and yells "I will beat you, city!", look at his hands. In this scene, his hands are green, despite the fact that he was wearing gloves just before that scene. *When the bus is first seen from a bird's-eye view, it is backing up quickly. However, when GIR is reading the ad "What about the bus?" the bus is backing up slowly. *When GIR pulls a cupcake from his head, he has to access it from a zipper on his hood. Such a zipper does not exist. *A goof is seen in the bank scene as a guard passes through the scene and is gigantic in comparison to the other guards there. This is mentioned by Jhonen in the audio commentary of the episode. *When Zim and GIR crash into the dumpster, the dog that is seen running away makes the sound of a cat. Music *To the City In the entire opening sequence, up to the point where Zim asks GIR to lead them home. *I'm Blind! When Zim stares at the sun too long. *Bank Robber Chase During the chase sequence with the cops. *To the Barrio *Carne Beat When Zim winds up in Mexico. See also *Walk of Doom (Transcript) *Episode 03 Credits *Walk of Doom/Screenshots References es:El Paseo de la Ruina Category:Season 1 Category:Altered Episodes Category:Screenshots Category:Episodes